Comparisons
by Princess Gillybean
Summary: A nextgen oneshot featuring James, Lily, Albus, Rose, Scorpius and Hugo.


**Comparisons**

A/N: This story is a response to The Reviews Lounge Fandom Challenge. **Number 63: Hugo is the odd one out.**

_It was originally just about Hugo but it grew into something I'm not even sure entirely fits the prompt. The point of this story is to show that while in many ways each child is like the parents/grandparents under whose shadows they struggle there are differences as well. _

* * *

Scorpius Malfoy sauntered down the hallway, at the age of fifteen he was rather cocky, and like many boys before him acted as though he ruled the school. Someone pushed past him, "Watch where you're going Malfoy." A dark hair boy said moodily, Scorpius' eyes narrowed, "You can't speak to me like that." He glared.

"Speak however I want, to a snake like you." The boy retorted.

"How original," Scorpius mocked, "Did you're Daddy think of that one too?"

The boy glared angrily, "Sod off Malfoy I'm not in the mood!"

"Obviously." Scorpius smirked, "moody little thing aren't you Albus Severus." He quite suddenly found himself pushed up against a wall by his collar, "I've told you not to call me that, Scorpius Hyperion. Albus hissed, Scorpius winced, "Fine, fine you win." He stumbled slightly as he was released, then stood quickly adjusting his robes. "See you later then Potter." He called after the retreating figure. He shook his head; stupid kid always seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders. Shrugging it off, Scorpius headed off to the Quidditch pitch for a fly.

* * *

James let out a whoop as the quaffle soared through the goal hoop. "Okay everyone, great practise, we're so going to beat Slytherins sorry arses next Saturday!" The team cheered and headed off to the changing rooms. James sighed as he flew after the quaffle, which had landed in the stands. "Hey James," his best friend Carter was sitting nearby.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Guess who I talked to the library again?" The boy said with a wink.

"Annabelle?" James' eyes lit up at the thought of the beautiful girl, who had been the object of his affections for some time now. The girl, who in his opinion was the epitome of perfect.

"What'd she say? Did she mention me? Did you mention me?"

"Dude calm down, we just talked about the potions essay due Friday." James sighed, "And?"

"You have no chance mate, that girl will never agree to go out with you." James glowered, "She will too!" he muttered and flew back to the changing rooms. After getting changed James walked toward the castle where he bumped into Scorpius Malfoy, "Hey Malfoy, going for a fly?"

"Yeah," Scorpius replied, "What's up with Al this time? He was in a right foul mood when I bumped into him before, we had a fight our fathers could be proud of."

James laughed, "When isn't Al in a foul mood these days? I'll talk to him though. See you round." And they parted ways.

* * *

"Leave him alone you jerk!" Lily yelled at the boy who currently had her best friend hostage. "Ah you're girlfriend's come to the rescue. _Tangella_" He sneered, and flicked his wand at the boy who was once again forced to dance uncontrollably. Lily pulled out her wand. Suddenly four other wands were trained on her, she glared at them, "You're such a horrible bunch of bullies!" She exclaimed, "What did he ever do to you?"

"It's more what he doesn't do." The boy said, "Like he won't disappear."

"As if anyone would really miss him," snorted another.

"What's going on here?" a voice asked and to Lily's relief her brother appeared around the corner. The five boys immediately lowered their wands, no one would want to be caught threatening Lily Potter especially not by James or Albus.

James raised and eyebrow, "Johnstone do you think you could let that poor boy stop dancing now?" the boy nodded and after releasing Matt from the spell they all scurried off. Lily ran over to her friend. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. He muttered. I don't need you're help." he clambered to his feet, "Gotta run Lily, I have detention with Longbottom." He said and hurried off.

"I don't understand why everyone picks on him." Lily said mournfully as she watched him leave. "There is always someone in a school who all the bullies pick on and therefore no-one is friends with," James said putting an arm around her, "I'm proud of you Lils."

Lily smiled sadly, "So any breakthrough with The Girl."

James sighed, "Carter says I have no chance."

"Well of course you don't have a chance if you've never even talked to her before. You have to get to know her not stalk her. For all you know she's just waiting for you to get up the nerve to say hello."

"I sp'ose." James acknowledged, "But it's harder than you'd think Lils. I've liked her for so long, what if she doesn't want to talk to me?"

"You won't know until you try." Lily said, "I assume you know exactly where she is? So go!" she pushed him down the hall.

"Okay, okay I'm going. Oh if you see Al check that he's okay will you?"

* * *

Albus sat in on the floor, sulking. He scowled when he saw his sister tripping down the hall toward him. "I suppose that git Malfoy told you to check on me." he said when she sat down beside him, carefully tucking her robes around her. "Nope." She said cheerfully, "It was James."

"I don't need you lot constantly checking if I'm ok," he said glaring at her, "You all treat me like a child!"

"Well if you stopped moping around like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders then we wouldn't have to. What could possible have happened this time?"

Albus rolled his eyes, "you and Malfoy been talking? He's always saying stupid things like that."

"Well as a matter of fact I have talked to Scorpius, but he was asking my advice about a girl, it really had nothing to do with you."

Albus said nothing, just sat staring sullenly "Honestly Al, I don't know why you let it all get to you."

"You don't know what happened." He muttered.

"Sure I do, Hagrid called you Harry by accident again or some idiot first year asked for your autograph or… It's Friday right? So I guess Slughorn regaled you with stories of his great 'friendship' with Dad. Right?"

"You'd think by my fifth year he would've gotten tired of it."

"Oh Al, I don't know what to do with you." Lily said shaking her head, slightly amused.

"You're my little sister, I should be taking care of you not the other way round."

"We're siblings. We take care of each other, and you do a very good job don't worry about it. Now I've said this a million time and I know James has too, in his own way which probably made no sense and described you as a quaffle,"

Albus laughed at the truth in this causing Lily to smile, "You really can't let it get to you. You're not the only one Slughorn embarrasses. He called me Miss Evans nearly every lesson I had in first year and half of second year. James and I are Harry Potter's kids too and just cause we don't get compared to dad in appearance doesn't mean we don't have to deal with comparisons. We all do, this entire generation does."

"When did you get so wise?" Albus asked, ruffling her hair. His dark mood seemed to have lifted.

"I've always been the smartest," Lily said tossing her head as he helped her to her feet. "Now I don't suppose you could help me with a little revenge?"

Albus sighed, "What'd they do to him this time?"

"The usual hexing. Though it was a good thing James came along would've been a full on duel and I don't think I can beat them four on one."

"I'll help." Albus promised, angered at thought of four delinquents attacking his baby sister. Lily smiled widely and hugged him. "Okay thanks. I'll talk to you later! Go smile at someone." She skipped off down the hall.

* * *

Rose was standing impatiently in the Great Hall. He was late, very late. "Probably out on his stupid broom." She muttered glaring at the doors.

"Hey Rosie." A voice behind her said, she whirled around. "Oh Al. It's you. You look happier." Albus rolled his eyes, "who you waiting for?"  
"Malfoy. I don't suppose you've seen him anywhere have you?"

"I have strong reason to believe he's at the pitch." Albus smirked, "so you and Malfoy huh? What will Uncle Ron say?"

It was Rose's turn to roll her eyes, "For patrol…you know because we're prefects."

"I know, I know." Albus waved her off, "I still think…"

"You think Potter? It's a miracle! Someone send for the Pope!" the voice of Scorpius Malfoy drawled from behind them.

"You know who the Pope is?" Albus asked incredulously.

"But of course. I expected a better comeback than that you know." Scorpius said shaking his head, "People will think we actually like each other."

"Oh dear, we can't have that." Albus said, "how about I hex you? That should rest any doubts."

"As much as I'd simply love to be hexed by you, Dear Rosie here is waiting, indeed has been waiting for sometime."

"Don't' call me that!" Rose snapped and both boys glared at her. She sighed and they continued their verbal banter until Albus headed off to his common room.

"Well then, shall we?" Scorpius held out his arm. Rose wrinkled her nose in disgust, "you're all sweaty."

"I was flying…"

"Yes. Instead of meeting me here for patrols like you were supposed too."

"I had an encounter with 'Black Albus' I needed to unwind."

Rose snorted, "I don't know why you two provoke each other so much. I though you wanted to be different from our fathers."

"But we are different. They made it impossible for us to ignore the family history, so we made it fun."

"You actually enjoy it?" she asked disbelieving.

"Brightens my day." He said smirking at her. Her eyes flashed, how did he always manage to distract her when she was on a rant? "Regardless, you were still later, _again_!"

"And I'm terribly sorry Rosie…I mean Rose."

"If you're not going to take your responsibilities seriously you shouldn't be a prefect! I can't be they only one that actually does their job" she glared at Scorpius unsure if he was listening or just interjecting his apologies at random intervals. "You need to start coming to patrols and meetings on time, and stop letting students off just because you think something is funny or..." Her rant was suddenly cut off."

* * *

"What on earth are you doing?" Hugo shouted, his face turning an interesting shade of red. Scorpius and Rose turned to face him; Rose was slightly flushed as well. "What does it look like?" Scorpius drawled as calm as ever. As though he had not just been caught snogging a Weasley in the middle of the Great Hall by none other than her small yet zealous younger brother. Hugo spluttered, "It looked like…" he flushed and even darker shade and turned to his sister looking at her expectantly. She smiled sheepishly.

"What are people going to think what they see you in here acting like a…" he was cut off by a look from Rose, "What I do is my business, and you have no right to censor me."

"I'm your brother it's my duty…"

"You're my little brother you can not tell me what to do!" She yelled. They both stood glaring at each other till Scorpius interrupted, "as much as I'm enjoying this little staring contest, Rosie we are now really late for patrol."

"Oh Merlin!" Rose exclaimed, and tore off down the hall, dragging a bemused Scorpius after her and leaving Hugo alone, glaring moodily at the wall.

* * *

Hugo slid down next to Rose at breakfast the next morning.

"This is the Ravenclaw table." She said frostily.

"Rosie I'm sorry."

"Well you should be." She sniffed.

"Really I am! I shouldn't have said that. I was just surprised! I never thought you would act like that." He begged.

"Act like what?"

"Y'know…doing _that_…with Malfoy. In the Great Hall where anyone could see." Hugo whispered, Rose blushed, "well to be perfectly honest Hugo, I didn't really think I would do that either. It just sort of happened."

"But you won't do it again?" He asked anxiously.

"No, I don't think so." Rose reassured him. He sighed with relief, "Don't worry, I won't tell Dad."

"Thanks!" She said, also looking relieved. He got up cheerfully and headed over to his own table,

"You won't do it again?" asked a voice in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

"No." She said firmly, "Hugo is right."

"Oh" Scorpius looked disappointed as he sat down then surprised when she bravely slid her hand into his. "That sort of this is private, it shouldn't be down in The Great Hall."


End file.
